Category Archives: economic development

National Editorial Opposes Dallas Use of Eminent Domain. 4 Bits Informed Intel.

Which publication took the side of a small business owner in an eminent domain situation in Dallas? Wall Street Journal

What is the Dallas eminent domain issue?  Dallas wants to acquire a local auto repair shop to create a gateway to its arts district

How is Dallas acquiring this property? Some say that Dallas zoning ordinances are being amended to prohibit the operation of the auto body shop. 

What did the editorial say about Dallas’ zoning law changes that caused businesses to…

Legal Trend: The US Supreme Court Refuses 2 Eminent Domain Cases. What does that mean?

California Building Industry Association v. City of San Jose

  • Keeps in place the California Supreme Court ruling that an affordable housing ordinance is not a taking of a developer’s proeprty
  • It applies to developments of 20 more more units and requires 15% to be affordable

Beacon Resources Inc. v. W. Virginia DOT

  • A fight over the value of mineral rights. The state wants coal land. The satte wanted to ensure lost profits were not included. The court refused.
  • The case has been remanded…

TREND: A State audit reveals County improperly used eminent domain

What state allows an auditor to look at eminent domain? Oklahoma

What was the Oklahoma state auditor reviewing that included eminent domain? Records, process and procedure at Creek County, Oklahoma

What eminent domain related violations did the OK auditor find?

  • failed to provide sufficient paperwork to determine eminent domain was used in accordance with state statutes
  • court records showed that the property was obtained for economic development, a violation of state law
  • an executive…

3 Reasons an Ethics Professor Says the Arlington Baseball Stadium Should Have Not Used Eminent Domain

  • A ball park is neither a public use nor a public purpose
  • There is no public benefit of a ball park
    • And, if you try to say there is an economic benfit, he’ll throw studies at you to say that is not true
  • Taking land from one property owner to give it to another so they can make money is no different than Kelo, and that’s what happened in Arlington

–Richard Galvin is the Betty S. Wright Professor in Applied Ethics at Texas Christian University. Star Telegram | Greene got it wrong on use…

NBA Stadium Held Out as Eminent Domain Failure. 3 Keys for Stadium Builders to Know.

  • No Return on Investment. the stadium is a financial loser. Losing $9 million in its 3rd year.
  • Stadium Community promises Unfulfilled. the promised housing has yet to be developed
  • Eminent Domain Abuse Abounds. Redevelopment is faltering. A sporting goods store that closed in the stadium construction remains a vacant lot.

Who is saying this? Reason

About which NBA Stadium? Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center

A documentary about the Brooklyn stadium was shortlisted for an Oscar for best…

Activist Trend: Organizing for Property Rights Gets Boost in Southern State.

Institute for Justice, the group that represented Kelo, is helping North Carolina landowners organize.

What concerns North Caolina Landowners? A small town was looking to redevelop.

Institute for Justice 

Previously on informedintel: Town of 10,000 Tries Redevelopment. Includes Eminent Domain. Lawsuit on Horizon. (November 19, 2015)

A small town redevelopment effort to revitalize vacant industrial property surprised city council members when it was revealed that the Institute for…

Lege Trend. Redevelopment Costs 300 times.

Where’s this trend emerging? The Granite State. Home to hopeful Presidential foot traffic. 

Why the penalty for developers? To counter land being taken for economic development, a legisltive propsal in new Hampshire requires  developers to compensate landowners at a rate of 300% of the value of the taken land

Ledger Transcript | Bills Aim at Eminent Domain

4 Takeaways from an Activist Private Property Rights Group

Where is the private property rights group forming? Mt. Airy North Carolina

What type of project sparked the group’s formation? A local redevelopment plan

What’s the group’s goal? To remove private property from the local redevelopment plan

Why? The local government’s plan to redevelop land that it holds, expanded to include private property of a former city council candidate

What concerns about eminent domain does the group have?

  • That the use of eminent domain will result in…

4 Ways a Legal Trend Pushed an Activism Movement that Forever Empowered Land Owners Against Pipelines.

  • Eminent Domain. Kelo. Lives. Limited Partnerships in pipeline development are still uneasy about access to land via eminent domain
  • Texas Rice Land Partners v. Denbury case empowered landowners to challenge pipelines
  • Legal Process means “significant legal costs and project delays”
  • Ted Cruz the face of Texas politics is no longer business conservatives but is a firebrand

Trib Talk  Bracewell & Giuliani | Obstacles to pipeline development highlight Texas’ conservative split